Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
The pope begins to set his coursePope Leo XIV returned to the Sistine Chapel today to preside over his first Mass since he was elected there to serve as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. During his first homily as pope, Leo evoked the teachings of Francis, his predecessor, pledged to align himself with “ordinary people,” and called for missionary outreach to help heal the “wounds that afflict our society.” He will soon confront a number of urgent questions, including who gets a say in determining the future of the church and how to manage the rising right wing in U.S. Catholicism. But first, many Catholics are still learning about the new pope, whose name was said to be a clear reference to the previous Leo. To many, an American pope was a shock. But other aspects of Leo’s background, especially his time in a senior Vatican role, make him a less surprising pick. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio Siongco David of the Philippines said “it matters a lot that we have a pope and a spiritual leader whose heart is for migrants.” He added: “I think he will sustain the direction of Pope Francis.” Other cardinals who were at the conclave explained what happened behind the scenes: Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., said that Leo engaged “quite effectively” in small group discussions. Cardinal Robert McElroy, Gregory’s successor as Washington’s archbishop, said in a news conference that Leo’s American identity was “almost negligible” in the conclave, almost surprisingly so. Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, from the Philippines, described Leo as levelheaded, calm and humorous. Tagle sat beside him during the conclave and offered him a candy when he noticed the soon-to-be pope breathing deeply. “That was my first act of charity to the future pope,” Tagle said. For more: The pope’s eldest brother, Louis Prevost, told us about their boyhood in Illinois.
The India-Pakistan conflict escalatedGunfire and shelling battered the disputed borderlands of India and Pakistan today, as the two nuclear-armed countries launched attacks in their most expansive military conflict in decades. For my colleague Hari Kumar, a reporter in New Delhi, this week’s attacks recalled memories of the last major war between India and Pakistan, in 1971. However, some important things have changed. “What is drastically different this time, besides the new weapons, is the flood of disinformation on social media and television screens,” Hari wrote in a dispatch. “It has made the job of reporting extremely hard, and it has added to a sense of panic among people.”
Trump said he was open to lower tariffs on ChinaPresident Trump suggested this morning that he was open to sharply reducing the tariffs on imports from China. Trump said that an 80 percent tariff on China “seems right,” adding that it would be “up to” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is set to meet this weekend with Chinese negotiators. Chinese shipments to the U.S. have plunged 21 percent from a year earlier. In other news from Washington:
David Souter, the Republican-turned-liberal justice, diedDavid Souter, a New Hampshire Republican who was named to the Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush, is remembered for surprising the man who appointed him. He became a mainstay of the court’s liberal wing, leading conservatives to insist on “no more Souters” when later Republican presidents had court seats to fill. He died yesterday at 85. Our Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak wrote about Souter’s legacy and his decision to retire at the relatively young age of 69. “He was so old-school that it almost seemed like he never really caught up to electricity,” one of his clerks said. More top news
A Soviet Spacecraft Comes Home Kosmos-482, which has been adrift since the Soviets launched it in 1972, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere by the end of this weekend. Experts don’t yet know where it may come down. We’re tracking its path.
Miu Miu brings a show to New YorkFor the last few years, Miu Miu has been the darling of the fashion world, a brand with exploding growth during a period of slowing sales. This weekend, its clothing will be on display, for free, at a performance art show in Manhattan. The show is part of an effort by the brand’s founder, Miuccia Prada, to highlight the state of women in the world. We talked to her about her vision.
A celebration of string music and flaky treatsThe Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Grammy-winning Black string band, recently reunited for a performance at the inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival in Durham, N.C. The event was started by Rhiannon Giddens, a band member who wanted to celebrate the growing number of Black musicians who followed in their footsteps. It was a jamboree featuring twangy banjos, groovy basses, clickety bones and, yes, the devouring of many flaky, buttery biscuits. Giddens, a Pulitzer and MacArthur recipient, served as a judge for the biscuit competition.
Dinner table topics
Cook: Make huevos rancheros for brunch on Mother's Day. Watch: These are the movies our critics are talking about. Read: “The Director” is one of the best new books to check out. Smile: Here are three joy-boosting tips. |
